10 Weird Side Effects Everyone Experiences From Growing Up In Portland

It is hard to make it out of elementary school in Portland without taking sides between University of Oregon and Oregon State University.

Once you have this pronunciation in your head (cooch), you may never go back.

When we look east, this is what we see. While it is completely normal to us, when you leave and you don't have these beautiful mountains you realize how lucky we are in Portland.

Green tea, peanut butter and jelly, lavender, Thai iced tea, and olive oil ice cream are perfectly normal flavors...until you leave Portland.

You are surrounded by green space and it is a daily part of life in Oregon and Portland.

We are known for our calm and collected drivers. Sure, we have plenty of traffic and headaches, but Portlanders are infamously friendly when driving, so much so that it can be hard getting anyone to take the right-of-way at a 4-way stop. You stop for pedestrians, whether they are at a cross walk or not and give friendly waves often.

Unless you spend a lot time out of the state, you may be kind of perplexed about pumping your own gas once you cross state lines.

When you live in Portland, not only do you have access to loads of city pools, but paradise is just a short drive away. It's hard to live in the city and not have at least one special swimming spot in nature.

Whether you leave for a job, school, or a new start, it is hard to leave Portland behind, and chances are, the city will call you back at some point.